Upconversion (UC) is a non-linear optical process as anti-Stoke’s emission in which the sequential absorption of two or more photons leads to the emission of light at a wavelength shorter than the excitation wavelength. UC phosphors with rare-earth (RE) ions have attracted considerable research interest due to their unique optical properties and related wide range of applications in areas such as compact solid state lasers, infrared (IR) detectors, bio-imaging, and solid-state displays. In this research, we report that the green and the red UC emissions in the Er3+ ions were successfully obtained in a new host material BaHfO3 with 980-nm near-IR excitation. These UC emissions in Er3+ could be controlled with Yb3+ doping with a nontrivial temperature dependence, in relation to multiple excited-state excitations.